Tadge Talks About the Limited Edition 427 Convertible

Corvette chief engineer Tadge Juechter recently turned the tables on one of the media.

After answering questions like he usually does, Tadge came up with one of his own and asked Autoweek writer Dale Jewett a jewel of a question: ?What would you change for the next Corvette??

The mainstream media seems to love beating up on the Corvette, even though we all know it might be the best automotive bargain around, even with its few flaws.

But Jewett admitted that the 2013 Corvette, the swan song for the C6, seems to have addressed many of the concerns about the current generation that the big car magazines had in the beginning, and he had trouble coming up with any remaining changes.

?The truth is that years of continuous refinement have made the Corvette a powerful and comfortable sports car,? he wrote.

The upcoming 427 convertible, in fact, is the best of the C6 breed, according to Jewett. ?It marries the 505-hp dry-sump V8, six-speed manual and suspension from the Z06 track car with the grand-touring chassis and interior from the Grand Sport convertible,? he said. ?The redesigned seats introduced last year on the Centennial Edition are here along with suedelike coverings for the steering wheel, shift lever, center console, and door armrests.?

Jewett admitted he’d like to make sure a clutch pedal is available on the C7, and he’d like to see some more weight come off the new car to make it comparable in size to the Porsche 911. Like all of us, he’d also like to see the C7 come into the 21st century with a new more user-friendly navigation/radio unit. And while the 2013 seats are comfortable, Jewett told Juechter ?that no one would complain if they get even better. And if he can narrow the center tunnel to create more hip room, that’s a plus.?

But on short, ?that’s all I could come up with,? Jewett admitted. ?And even after a few days of extra thinking time, I can’t come up with much else.?

Here is Tadge and Autoweek’s Dale Jewett walking around the 2013 427 Convertible Corvette with the 60th Anniversary Package:

We have a feeling Tadge and his crew have listened and listened well to the concerns of their fan base, and like its predecessors, the C7 Corvette will again be earning major kudos from the media in just a few short months. Let’s just hope the bashing doesn’t begin again after the new wears off.